By Mary Argue of RNZ
Fake parking QR codes have been found across Wellington, with police urging residents of the capital to be vigilant over potential scams.
Wellington City Council said parking staff had removed about a dozen fake stickers from parking meters around the city in the past couple of days.
Scanning the QR code directs the user to a site that requests information such as the anticipated parking time and licence plate number, before asking for credit card details.
In July, Christchurch City Council sounded the alarm over a similar scam, after finding fake QR code stickers on several council-owned and privately-owned parking meters.
In a post on social media today, Wellington District Police said it had received complaints about the scam and warned people not to fall for it.
“They might look legitimate but aren’t and are scamming people parking on the roads through their payment system.
“Council staff are pulling down these stickers when they see them, but we would appreciate information from the public on where they’ve been placed.”
Police asked for anyone with information relating to the stickers, such as who might be creating them, to get in touch.